I love to write. And I love to write new stuff. But sometimes…the perfect words for the job just happen to be words I’ve already written…some other time, for some other project. So I do the simple thing. The shortcut. I copy and then I paste.
But what might be an efficient way to get a job done is no way to live your life.
There are no shortcuts to being you.
There are those who spend a ton of time and energy trying to be someone else. They’ve gotten pretty good at looking at someone else and saying, “I’ll be like that.” And I know there are some good examples out there to follow but it seems that these people wear themselves out trying to be someone they can never be.
If they put all that effort and time into developing the person God created THEM to be instead of trying to be someone else, they would find a special and unique individual with a fascinating story to tell.
There is one group you could be leading right now…the group of people who would like to be you. You can LEAD that pack. So why do you choose to struggle along in that other pack…the pack of those people who are trying to be someone else.
Know this…If you are spending all your time and effort trying to be someone else, you’ll always be a step behind. No matter how good of a copy cat you are…you’ll just be a copy.
God created you for more than that.
Interesting perspective, but I’m not sure that I agree. Humanity has a long history of apprenticeship, modeling and following as a means to develop and perpetuate identity. In fact, I believe that one of the biggest challenges facing some of my students as they pursue their identities is that they have been taught that they must be unique in a world where there is actually nothing new under the sun. The result can be anxiety or self-loathing as they judge themselves for being unable to stand out from the crowd to the extent they have been taught they should. Artists studied under the masters for decades, replicating their work in order to learn the nuances of painting in order to become ready. Athletes and musicians do the same, learning the classics by replicating in order to build into something new. Wondering where the basis for this line of thinking comes from?
Joan! We’re probably more in agreement than I think you realize. I believe in apprenticeship and mentoring and modeling. I believe in working under the masters to learn our craft. But that’s very different to ignoring (or not even realizing) the power of your own uniqueness. You said it…”in order to become ready.” There is a time when we’ve learned and we’ve grown and we’ve matured and we’re ready to bring our own authentic self into the world. It’s cute when we see a child dress like his dad and say the words his dad says and even mimics the movements and mannerisms of his father. But when that child grows up and he’s still obviously trapped in his dad’s role it becomes a sad picture, maybe even pathetic. He’s only a shell of his true self. You feel like shaking that guy and say “live your own life! You have so much to give!”
One more thought…I’ve seen this in the Church probably more than in individuals. Christians are notorious for looking to the world for inspiration and then trying to make “a Christian one of those.” Christian theme parks, Christian movies. Christian music. Sadly the result is often a pathetic copy of the real thing. We serve the most creative force in the universe! Are we so bankrupt of creativity that we have to copy the world? I’m one who believes that there is no “Christian” and “secular.” If God breathes life into it…it’s unique and different and communicates His nature to the world. I think we should spend more time determining where His Spirit is and flow in that; whether as individuals or churches.